You have GOT TO BE KIDDING!- New Aqualung BC

[james croft]

LOL. Well, there's always "pushrod technology."

Just like granny's butter churn.

 

[WetFatCat]

I just read about the new BC with the i3 inflator.

A direct quote :"The innovative i3 allows divers to simply and intuitively control their ascent and descent by pulling a lever up and down to surface or dive deeper."

This "intuitively" looks as a wrong approach. Idea of "up and down" is not obvious underwater and could depend on trim and current body position. Hose disconnection looks to be not easy at this BC.

 

[MikeFerrara]

This "intuitively" looks as a wrong approach. Idea of "up and down" is not obvious underwater and could depend on trim and current body position. Hose disconnection looks to be not easy at this BC.

It doesn't look easy to disconnect the hose and that could be dangerous.

After looking over the website and the animated demonstration, I really think the up/down accosiation of the lever is based on the lack of understanding of buoyancy control displayed in the animation. They really think the inflate button is an "up button" (a depth control) so it makes all the sense in the world to them to make it "up" on a lever...like turning the steering weel of a car to the right in order to turn right.

This could make one of those "bloopers and bleeper" collections. It isn't often that a conpany goes through with an entire deign, tooling, production and marketing of a product based on a blooper so it might get top billing. LOL

 

[MikeFerrara]

It is the elevator concept which really bothers me. What means up? Also the remote deflation, no matter how robust they say it is.
Below is the complete description as provided to SportDiver

"Sea Quest i3 from Aqua Lung

The Sea Quest i3 is an innovative, new inflation system found exclusively in Sea Quest BCs. Its greatest asset is its simplicity and how intuitive it is to use. Move the lever up to go up; push it down to go down. What could be easier? What’s more, when dumping air from the BC, the i3 opens all of the new Flat E-Valves at once. Gone are the days of deciding which valve to reach for based upon your orientation in the water.
Safe

The i3 allows you to take control of your diving. Mastering buoyancy control is one of the most difficult skills to learn. The i3 not only makes the skill easier but eliminates potential out-of-control-ascents caused by a diver reaching for the wrong dump valve. The i3 also allows for rapid location and activation of the inflator to establish buoyancy at the surface in case of an emergency.

Easy

The i3 is simple and intuitive. Move the lever up to go up; down to go down Convenient Unlike a traditional inflator at the end of a floppy hose, the i3 never moves. It is stationary at the same location where your left hand normally rests. It is always in the right place at the right time.
Reliable

The i3 does not utilize pneumatics or hydraulics to activate the Flat E-Valves. Therefore, there is no possibility of failure due to leaks. Using push-rod technology, as found in aircraft, the design remains simple and robust.

Fun
The i3 is just plain fun to use.

i3
• Intuitive design makes buoyancy control safer and easier
• Opens upper and lower dump valves simultaneously. No more thinking about which dump valve to reach for
• Over-molded lever prevents gloves from slipping off while using
• Increased flow rate over traditional inflators. Allows you to fill your BC faster
• Attached dust cap prevents contaminants from entering mechanism when not in use
• The i3 uses fewer parts and is easier to service compared to standard inflators
• Using the new lp hose grip, the lp hose can be attached or removed while wearing the BC.

This will satisfy instructional agency requirements to disconnect and reattach lp hose while training Flat E-Valves
• Extremely low profile reduces drag in the water
• Utilize a one-way valve to prevent water from back flushing in when all of the valves open at once
• Very easy to service
• Activated with push-rod technology making them very responsive"




Specifications:
Year 2007

Contact Info:
Aqua Lung
2340 Cousteau Court
Vista, CA 92081
United States
760-597-5000
Visit us at http://www.aqualung.com

The wording seems pretty clear and consistant with the animation on the website. Now, who actually wrote this, aqualung or sport diver? Either way, it's hard to believe that a dive magazine doesn't have a diver employed someplace in their ranks to proof read this stuff. I can't hardly believe they even printed it.

ok so niether aqualung or sport diver understands any of this stuff. LOL no real surprise, I've long suspected that there aren't many people in the dive industry who actually know anything about diving.

 

[divad]

Yeah, but what about the fairys?

 

[pakman]

So Mike F, what do you REALLY think about this product...

 

[H2Andy]

So Mike F, what do you REALLY think about this product...

i'll make it easy for Mike to answer ... just fill in the blank:


___ It doth sucketh camel bollocks

___ somewhat less dangerous than a new diver with unlimited credit

___ think "The Brady Bunch" without the girls

 

[DennisW]

Well, I visited the Aqualung dealer today and he doesn't have one of the new BCs. He said he would like to see one, too. But, unless someone orders it, he probably won't have one in the shop for quite a while.

Oh well, I tried.

 

[cerich]

Personally I liked using the Mares airtrim system and this is similar. That being said this ranks as pretty bad ad spin that seems to be written by somebody that has NO CLUE that you let air out of your BCD as you assend and as you desend.

 

[ClayJar]

I think we need to have some of our ScubaBoarders who are fluent in flash create a realistic BC simulator (complete with lung graph so you can see where in your lungs you are breathing). It might actually be useful, *and* you could license the source to AquaLung to fix their broken demo.